Acting Secret Service director says he's 'ashamed' after the Trump assassination attempt

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the testimony of the Secret Service's acting director, Ronald Rowe Jr., before lawmakers regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Rowe acknowledged failures and communication breakdowns that led to the gunman being able to access a roof near the rally stage where Trump was speaking.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Testimony of the Secret Service's Acting Director

1. What were the key points made by Ronald Rowe Jr. in his testimony?

• Rowe considered it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman was unsecured, and regretted that local law enforcement did not alert the Secret Service about the armed subject on the nearby roof.
• Rowe said the Secret Service's counter-sniper teams and the former president's security detail were unaware the assailant had a firearm until they heard gunshots.
• Rowe acknowledged this was a "failure on multiple levels," including a failure of imagination and a failure to challenge assumptions that local law enforcement had the situation under control.
• Rowe said he has implemented reforms since taking over as acting director, including vetting security plans, expanding use of aerial drones, and directing federal and local counter-snipers to work together.

2. How did Rowe respond to criticism from lawmakers?

• Rowe faced harsh criticism from Senate Republicans, who felt he was not taking sufficient responsibility for the failures.
• Rowe defended himself, saying he has "lost sleep over this for the last 17 days" and would not be rushed to judgment by Congress, assuring that "people will be held accountable."
• Senators like Josh Hawley and Lindsey Graham argued that if this happened in the military, people would be fired, and that the system would fail again unless someone loses their job.

[02] Details on the Assassination Attempt

1. What happened during the assassination attempt?

• Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, was struck in the ear by a bullet or bullet fragment during the attempt.
• One rallygoer was killed and two others were injured before the gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

2. What did the FBI reveal about the gunman?

• A social media account believed to be associated with Crooks espoused political violence and included antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiment, dating back to 2019-2020 when he was in high school.
• Crooks had also looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices, and a previous assassination attempt.
• The FBI said Trump has agreed to be interviewed as a crime victim.